Marine systems were assessed during a March 2012 workshop of experts. The following are the individual scores that experts identified (first number is sensitivity and the second is the associated confidence): Water temperature (6, 5) water chemistry (6, 5) sea-level rise (2, 4) flooding (3, 2) coastal erosion (4, 2) wave action (3, 2) currents (3, 2) storms (3, 2) disease (4, 2). Other (2, 1): turbidity and cloud cover (light alteration, blooms, etc) (6, 5). Water temperature. Affects what species are in the zone, productivity, stress on species and it affects physiology (production, respiration, nutrient cycling, O2 demand). Chemistry. Some of the factors affecting this system are: acidification, dO2 (dissolved O2), nutrients, stratification (ability for hypoxia to develop in benthos). Sea level rise. This zone will shift, determined by photic factors, physical constraints of substrate, intertidal. Experts don’t expect it to go away. Shifts of species will depend on water clarity (eelgrass migration, rate depends on dispersion). Rate of shift is also variable depending on rate of rise, water clarity, species composition (eelgrass can shift quickly with annual recruitment, kelps are slower). Flooding (freshwater input). Flooding may affect the hydrological regimes. Some places are rain dominated while others are snowmelt runoff dominated. The timing may be very different, and sometimes it may shift from one to another. Turbid water at surface can block light, transport sediment, impact photosynthesis. If turbidity persists, it can have longer term impact. Light penetration is major impact (maybe needs to be its own category), suite of factors affect light penetration, mixing of layers of water with variable turbidity levels. Cloud cover also affects photosynthesis as the amount and quality of light available is different. Bigger issue is the effect on light. Flooding is inherently not bad, but it can change the system based on timing, frequency, duration. Erosion (separate from turbidity). Rocky shores, armored shores will prevent sediment load. For example, at the Elwha River you find low sediment at 50ft. Turbidity levels will affect subtidal. Erosion is an important factor for maintaining and destroying habitats. Wave action. This system gets hammered in big storms which makes diversity decrease dramatically. Average wave height is steadily increasing in N. Pacific. This factor is less important than in intertidal. Currents. Large scale CA current important on coast and less important in the Puget Sound. Tidal currents shouldn’t change much. Experts expect that speed & direction of water particle movement will change, but they are not sure what it will be or how much. Also more water in Puget Sound will change currents. Storms. Freak waves, surges, and mixing will increase turbidity. Disease. Harmful algal blooms or blooms in general cause hypoxia. They are influenced by temperature & other stressors. Other: Light attenuation. Available light is reduced by turbidity and cloud cover. Turbidity results of storms & water temperature. Also flooding brings turbid top layer. Cloud cover is important defining light attenuation (clouds, wave action, turbidity, plankton blooms, silt coverage) as it brings biogenic habitat limitations.